8 comments:

This past year has been one plan after another, wear God is like no that's not right go this way. And if Im being honest I'm getting tired of it. I really want to follow Gods will for my life, and so far i think I have, but Im just really confused. Also if I'm being honest the only area in life that I'm frustrated with is with relationships. um last year I was engaged and long story short. Her parents didn't like me and found out that i had been struggling with an addiction to porn, they literally said that they would never except me and she chose to be with them.(again that is a very short answer to all of that lol) so ive been single for a while and recently have meet this new girl. Who is cool and I really like her and want to try to get to know and date and stuff, and its been going great. Then suddenly the other day she says that she's not sure what she wants and want to work on herself and stuff. Which Im totally ok with and applaud really I need to work on myself some before entering a real relationship again anyway. Then literally like 45min she's all of a sudden leaving to work on a cruise ship and I'm like God whats going on.... I know that you're all i need and all i should want but yet you give me these desires to be with someone here on earth. And i know you bring people in and out of our lives for a reason but can i get a little break please.

um literally I was planning my life with the first girl and obviously God has something different in mind. And I wasn't planning my life with this new girl but I was planning things to do and IDK hoping Praying that something could come of it....but God I think might be saying something different.

I was right there man. I was engaged to a girl I dated for 3 years. We were off and on and finally in a rocky relationship. I took off across country to get closer to God at a Christian college. In that process she found someone else. That wasn't supposed to happen. We were supposed to have a closer relationship as I drew closer to the Lord. However, here I was with this empty feeling as I watched her run off with some other guy. 3 weeks later I met my future wife. We married 6 months after meeting and are closing in on our 14th year together. We have 3 awesome boys and work side by side in youth ministry's. God's plan was so different then mine. All I had to do was have faith and be willing to listen.

I completely understand your frustration and feeling of just being plain tired of the curve balls thrown your way. As hard as it may seem, there are always very important lessons to take from these difficult experiences. There is always a plan God has in mind for us and a reason he puts us through things. We may not see it and we may not understand it at the time but in the future, it will make since. As hard as it may be, don't get discouraged. As cliché as it may sound, try to look at the positive. I was with a man for 5 years, got married, and he started an seeing someone else within a month of our marriage. It was devastating. I didn't listen to God's signs that I wasn't mean to marry him. He was with me through so many things and in many ways I felt like God put him in my life to "save" me from my past. But the truth is, there was a reason I met him. There was a time for me to be with him but God didn't plan for me to be with him forever. When I didn't listen to Him, I payed the price. I still think I was meant to marry and learn from the pain it put me through. I lost my home and my way of life but I have never been happier. My advice would be to focus all your attention on God. Not finding a mate. While this is important, God may be attempting to draw your attention to Him and the work he needs you to do for Him. Work on strengthening your relationship with Him and things will become clearer. I speak from experience. I wish you the best and I am praying for you!

I've been divorce twice, with kids in both situations. The second divorce was the hardest because we had been attending church together for some time. As I felt I was growing with the Lord, I saw her pulling away from the Lord. This made our relationship very difficult as our house and marriage was out of order. I loved her very much and tried to do everything to make her happy but it was never enough. We separated and eventually divorced, but through this valley experience, God revealed to me that I was idolizing my wife, placing her first before the Lord. I learned to surrender it all to Him and to love Him first, above all else. Sure it was hard, but now that God is first, I have faith that he will work out all things according to his will. Jesus said in Matthew 6:32-34 "For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".

Like Paul, I often sought to condemn groups and people that I did not agree with. I have been smashed across the head with multiple examples of how I am to love the sinner and offer prayer and support for their sin without turning my back. For years and years I did not understand this and the Lord God continued to push me towards what He wants instead of what I think is right. I pray, and ask for your prayers, to have the Lord continue to soften my heart and to be a reflection of Christ and Christianinty as opposed to a selfish persecutor.

Reflect: Why was Saul traveling to Damascus:To bring men and women to prison for being believers in Christ.

Respond: Describe a time in your life when you had a plan, but God showed you His purpose was much different that what you had planned.

I was going to college to get my degree in Marketing, and working full-time at Wachovia Bank. I had these plans of graduating college in four years and having a career in Marketing and being very successful. I was derailed when my liver failed without any warning. I fully believe God used this as a learning experience for Him to teach me about being grateful, humble, loving, and teach me his power and miracles, as I found a liver in just 3 days. He instilled the desire to spread his word and share my experience and his work in my life into my heart.

I'm a divorced dad with four kids living in SoCal. During the difficult economic times of 2008-2010, my job history was really unstable. My plan was to get hired by JP Morgan Chase and retire there. In June 2010 I was hired (thank God!), then for some crazy reason they closed our department. Fortunately, they transferred us to a different department within the same site. After 9mos of being in my new position, I just couldn't take it anymore. For the first time ever, I could not get a long with my supervisor. This made me want to leave so bad that I applied for an internal position in Northern California. Lo and behold, I got the job. So off I go to the East Bay leaving my four kids behind. It was the worse feeling ever. The move was only temporary though. I figured I'd stay there for a year, then move back. The experience I encountered during my stay up north is really the highlight of my story. My plan was to work, go to church, educate myself by reading self-taught books and that's it. I got connected to a small Calvary Chapel congregation where I met the most humbling brother I have ever known. He helped me to stop making excuses and respond to what we have all been appointed for, evangelism. For almost an entire year, weekend after weekend, we would go out and hand out gospel tracts while I watched him witness to strangers. This was the most awesome experience ever. Sure I got to see and tour God's wonderful creation in the bay area, but nothing compares to the revelation and calling to expanding God's kingdom. I moved back to Southern California in Feb 2013 where I see my kids on regular basis. Most importantly, I'm continuing to hand out gospel tracts while witnessing where the Holy Spirit leads me. I'm not perfect, but I'm His work in progress.